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Trilobite LbNA #23827

Owner:Walkabout
Plant date:Jul 10, 2006
Location:
City:Waynesville
County:Warren
State:Ohio
Boxes:1
Found by: Walkabout
Last found:Apr 20, 2023
Status:FFFFFFFFFFFaFFFO
Last edited:May 5, 2020
Difficulty: moderate to difficult because though this need not be a long hike, it requires walking up (and then back down) a rather steep hillside.

This letterbox is located at Caesar Creek Lake and State Park. Caesar Creek State Park is located in Warren County, and its official address is 8570 East S.R. 73 near Waynesville, Ohio. A map of the park is located at the ODNR web site.

This letterbox is located at Caesar Creek on the yellow blazed trail next to the dam spillway and lake intersection, an area called Flat Fork Ridge. The spillway and associated parking lot is a large drainage cut through shale. Many people hunt fossils in this location, and free permits to do so are available from the Visitor Center.

The spillway, dam and Visitor Center are located at the southwest portion of the lake. The most direct route is from the town of Corwin (Waynesville) on Route 73. There are posted signs to the dam and Visitor Center on Route 73. Go south (southeast) on Clarksville Road until you pass the Visitor Center and the dam. The spillway parking lot is directly off Clarksville Rd past the dam. You will notice a wide open area with low shale cliffs where the fossils are located; park in the associated parking lots.

To find the letterbox, follow the path or low cliffs northeast towards the lake. You will find a yellow blazed path at the farthest NE corner where the low walls taper into the hill side. The path leads upward on this NE direction through scrub growth rapidly changing to woods. Note: when we visited the box on May 4 2020, the trail was extremely muddy, and people had formed at least three side trails to skirt the mud. Stay on the right-most path. The trails merge back together into the main path, at the top and before the mail trail descends. Find the first large tree about 5-6 feet off the trail on the right as the trail crests. Also, there are two vertical smaller trees in front of this larger tree, that are right off the path. If you follow the trail downhill, you’ve gone too far. From the large tree, count 13 steps at 160 degrees to a Shagbark Hickory (a smaller tree with flaky bark). Continue through the brush 12 steps at 110 degrees to a prominent large rock. The rock is a critical clue to the location of this box! From the rock, walk 8-9 steps at 130 degrees to a pair of closely-spaced trees. Trilobite is located behind this pair of trees, under bark and two rocks. (Please be sure to hide well and to replace the rocks when done, so animals don't carry this off!)

We enjoy hiking Caesar Creek’s 13 mile Perimeter Loop Trail, and you will pass this letterbox if you hike the trail. A map showing the trail is available at the Visitor Center. This trail provides a magnificent display of wildflowers in the spring including trillium and trout lily.

[Note: the original stamp was reported missing 7/18. This stamp is a recarve using the same image; replanted 9/18.]